Development of gene signatures of human unipotent megakaryocyte progenitor and other hematopoietic stem and progenitor populations. Homo sapiens

We newly identified prospectively-isolatable unipotent megakaryocyte progenitor population (MegP) as the major source of megakaryocytes, which emerges directly from early stage of hematopoiesis bypassing megakaryocyte-erythroid lineage bifurcation and contributes to physiological and pathological human megakaryopoiesis. To explore gene expression signature of hematopoietic stem/progenitor populrations miroarry-based whole transcriptome analysis was performed. As a result, gene expression signature of MegP clearly reflected its differentiation potential. Overall design: Gene expression profile of megakaryocyte progenitor and other hematopoietic stem and progenitor populations (Manz et al., PNAS, 2002), which were derived from bone marrow aspirates, were analyzed.